


Beginning a New Chapter

by BriMac0518



Series: Requests [42]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMac0518/pseuds/BriMac0518
Summary: The scent of leather bound tomes was so soothing as she drifted through the stacks in the library. Shelf after shelf were full of books on so many different subjects that Melody wasn’t certain she’d be able to read them all within her lifetime. The wealth of knowledge in this one library left the Hufflepuff girl in awe as she perused the titles that she could read on the spines.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Requests [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986547





	Beginning a New Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> An anonymous request from a tumblr user featuring their OC Melody. William is mine, created for this story.
> 
> PLEASE NOTE: Do not repost my work anywhere. I do not give my permission.

The scent of leather bound tomes was so soothing as she drifted through the stacks in the library. Shelf after shelf were full of books on so many different subjects that Melody wasn’t certain she’d be able to read them all within her lifetime. The wealth of knowledge in this one library left the Hufflepuff girl in awe as she perused the titles that she could read on the spines.

She was idly walking through a section on Transfiguration. Books on the subject were plentiful and Melody eyed a few before selecting some. She would check them out and read them whenever she had free time between classes. She spared a glance out of the nearby window as she passed it, seeing students from all four houses out on the grounds enjoying the sunny autumn afternoon they’d been blessed with.

Melody paused, watching them play and socialize, knowing it just wasn’t where she liked to be. Melody wasn’t exactly a loner, but she preferred to stay out of the spotlight. She had friends, many of them Slytherins in fact, but they always knew when to leave her to her own devices, when she’d had enough of being around other people and just wanted some quiet solitude. She didn’t see any of her friends out there, but that didn’t mean they weren’t out on the grounds somewhere.

When Melody wanted time to herself, her first choice was to venture to the library. She took comfort in the familiarity of such a place, quiet and peaceful, filled with so many books she could happily get lost amongst them all without a care. She turned from the window, pushing her black hair back from her face with her free hand, the quiet shuffling of her feet the only sound to disrupt the silence around her.

She stopped short when Madam Pince, the librarian, came around the corner and just barely kept herself from making a startled noise. Melody knew well how Madam Pince felt about noise in the library. The old woman looked at Melody, gaze drawn down to the books she was cradling against her chest with one hand. Then she nodded silently and ventured past the Hufflepuff girl, disappearing amongst the shelves.

Madam Pince didn’t really like students. She thought they were too noisy. That they didn’t take proper care of books. Yet for some reason, Madam Pince didn’t seem to mind Melody. She had no idea why, but she definitely wasn’t complaining about it. It meant she didn’t have to be afraid of the librarian whenever she ventured into her sanctum in her ever present search for knowledge.

Signing her books out, Melody left the library at last, knowing she didn’t have much time before she had to get to her next class. The way she figured it, she had just enough time to drop her books off in her dorm, then make it to the Herbology class the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw sixth years took together every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

Hurrying down a flight of stairs, she rounded a corner to head for the corridor where the kitchens were located, but her progress was abruptly halted when she collided with someone coming in her direction at the same time. Her books as well as Melody herself ended up crashing to the floor in a heap.

“Melody! Bloody hell, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” Melody looked out from under the book that had landed open on her head and saw the face of her friend William Adamston, a Slytherin, looking down at her with concern. He hurriedly stooped, plucking her up off of the ground easily. William was a sixth year like herself and they had bonded over a mutual love of books plus the fact that they were both Muggleborns back in their first year at Hogwarts.

Melody chuckled once she was upright and waved off the apology. “Quite all right, Will. I’m okay. No harm done.”

“Are you sure? That was quite the tumble.” Will picked up Melody’s books next, checking for any damage and dusting off the leather covers. Melody was pleased to see there was no damage to them because Madam Pince would’ve had her head otherwise.

“Oh, I’m sure. I don’t really have time to chat though, I’m afraid. I’ve got an Herbology lesson to get to. Just wanted to drop these off in my room before I popped over to the greenhouses,” she replied as she accepted the books when Will returned them to her.

“Right, I understand. Um. I was just coming to find you actually. Not to literally run into you like that, of course. But um, do you by any chance have some free time this evening? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about if you’re not busy.” Will rubbed the back of his neck a bit awkwardly and a light flush stained the boy’s fair skin, accenting his strawberry blond hair. Melody had to look up at him since he was a few inches taller than she was and wondered why Will was behaving as if he were nervous.

“Sure. Herbology is my last class and most of my homework is already done. When would you like to meet?” Her answer had Will smiling, looking excited and even hopeful, his early bashfulness vanishing in light of it.

“How about I meet you after your class in the library?” Will arched a brow, nodding in the direction of the library where she’d just come from.

“All right. The library though? You know Madam Pince isn’t exactly understanding when it comes to people talking…” That was an understatement and they both knew it. The understatement of the century in fact. It put an amused gleam in Will’s eyes, pale green like two shining peridot gems.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine. I’ll see you then?” He took a couple of steps away from her, intending to let her be on her way. Melody was most assuredly going to be late for her class given how long she’d taken in the corridor with Will. Dropping her books off in her room before class just wasn’t an option any longer.

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” She offered a quick wave, then turned and rushed down the corridor to get to the greenhouses. Professor Sprout took away five points from Hufflepuff for Melody’s tardiness, but since she never had points taken from her house before due to her actions, it didn’t seem like her classmates were cross with her for it. That was part of why she loved being a Hufflepuff. In general, Hufflepuffs just made her feel at ease. 

All during the lesson, Melody tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Will earlier in the castle. What could he want to talk to her about? She didn’t think that anything was wrong. Will hadn’t been acting as if there were something bothering him at least. Will was generally a cheerful, amicable boy. Many wondered at how he’d been placed in Slytherin and not Hufflepuff, but Will said he liked his house just fine. The stigma against Slytherin was outdated anyway. It wasn’t a house full of elitist young witches and wizards who believed in the ideals that halfbloods or Muggleborns didn’t belong at Hogwarts or that purebloods were better anymore. Things had certainly changed since the defeat of Lord Voldemort all those years ago. The old, backdated mindsets were out and the wizarding world had come to embrace witches and wizards of all origins. Some said that it was an enlightened time and Melody was inclined to agree.

Finally, Herbology was done and she’d even managed to earn back the five points she’d lost Hufflepuff by answering a few questions from Professor Sprout correctly plus a few more to make up for the loss. Melody hurried back into the castle and through the corridors on her way to the library. With it being the end of the school day, the library wasn’t all that busy when Melody arrived. Most students preferred having a bit of time to unwind after a long day of classes before starting on their homework. Unlike Melody who usually dove right into her assignments with aplomb. She’d actually been compared to Hermione Granger a few times during her tenure at Hogwarts which Melody loved. Hermione Granger was one of her heroes and the comparison was a huge compliment as far as she was concerned.

Stepping into the library, Melody peered around in search of Will. Madam Pince was nowhere to be seen, but she did find Will lingering near the Charms section. He smiled when their gazes locked and beckoned her over to him silently. Melody weaved her way through tables quietly, her bag slung over her shoulder, being careful not to bump into anyone as she passed. When she reached Will, he gently clasped her hand in his warm, larger one, guiding her back into the shelves toward the historical section. It was the furthest away from Madam Pince’s desk and the most secluded section of the library.

She glanced around once they were at the far wall of the library where the last shelves were, seeing no one nearby. Nothing disturbed the quiet around them save every exhale of their breath. Then Will realized he was still holding her hand and released Melody quickly, a blush staining his cheeks.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” She kept her voice low, merely a whisper, leaning toward him to give him a better chance to hear her inquiry.

“Well.” Will cleared his throat quietly, speaking in a whisper as well. “This is probably going to seem like it’s come from out of nowhere, but I wanted to uh…confess something to you actually. And ask you a question.”

Confess something to her? Melody was confused. Will hadn’t made it seem as if this was going to be a troubling conversation at all earlier, but being informed of an impending confession had worry beginning to bloom inside of her, mingling with confusion and concern. “All right. Go ahead.”

Will inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, almost soundlessly. He spared a look at their surroundings one more time, as if to make certain that there was no sign of the librarian lurking amongst the shelves. Then, reassured that they were indeed alone, he continued. “The truth is… Well, the truth is that I’ve liked you for a while Melody. Like…since third year in all honesty. And I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come out with me to Hogsmeade this weekend. On a date.”

Melody’s eyes widened as she listened to what Will had to say. She’d never expected him to say such a thing to her. Though, as she considered the past years of their friendship, she found little signs that she’d missed. The way Will seemed to smile so much more for her than for anyone else. How he always went out of his way to spend time with her. To help Melody any time she needed it. She’d thought it was just out of friendship, but perhaps she’d been wrong all along. Though Will hurried to continue after his confession.

“It’s completely fine if you don’t feel the same. If you’d rather we just stay friends, that’s absolutely okay. I never want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable with me, Melody. Nothing will change between us if you don’t want it to. I just wanted you to know how I felt on the chance that you might like me as well.” He smiled a bit for her, sheepish and shy, and Melody felt herself smiling back. Out of all of her friends, she’d always liked Will best. She felt excited, she realized, like she really did want to see where things went. So, Melody let herself live a little and nodded.

“All right, Will. It’s a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> Want to get updates on my writing? Come say hi on my social media. I’d love to hear from you! :)
> 
> [tumblr](http://brimac0518.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Instagram](http://instagram.com/brimac0518/)


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